b6vt Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 My '48 LC does not have thermostats installed. 1) Is it important that they are installed? 2) Where can I get new ones? 3) What temp should I get? Glenn Lorei ( b6vt) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest simplyconnected Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Does it make sense that new engines (with real hot thermostats) last three times longer than old engines? In most cases, heat is your enemy but a warmed engine runs far better than a cold one.Manufacturers have found that a hot engine lasts longer, burns cleaner, gives better economy, etc., than one with a low thermostat. There are limits, of course.I'm not asking you to run 16 pounds of radiator pressure, but my Dodge Intrepid does because the thermostat is so high, Dodge needed to raise the boiling point. It has gone over 150k with no signs of wear, so far. So, there is the trade-off; if your cooling system is efficient, you should definately run with a thermostat. Radiators work best when there is a huge differential between coolant temps and air temps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DADDIO65 Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 I would not recommend running without them. You can buy new thermostats from Narragansett Reproductions. Their phone # is located in the sources section of the Lincoln Zephyr Owners Club web site. I would go with what ever they recommended for your particular year. I think that 37-48 ran the same temp. I may be wrong, but that is what I have read so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peecher Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 The lincoln 12's were equipped with thermostats that were rated at 155-170 deg's. They would start to open at 155 deg's and would be fully open at 170 deg's. Your cooling system was designed to operate at 4 psi which was controlled by the radiator cap. Even tho these engines warm-up quickly and run warm due to the exhaust being routed thru the block it's still best to use thermostats especially in cold weather. They aide in getting more heat out of the defroster and heaters. With the proper thermostats the temperature gauge will read normal ( middle of the gauge). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBoz Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 Just to clarify, the '36-7 Zephyrs did *not* use pressurized caps from the factory. I suppose a different radiator cap could be used, but I'm not sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest imported_V12Bill Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 Cold running engines will build up sludge in the crankcase. The V 12s had a problem with crankcase ventilation and sludge right from the beginning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest V8andahalf Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 My 41 is not equipped with a pressurized cap either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peecher Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 It seems they didn't start using pressure caps for the cooling system on all cars until 1942? I notice in the parts book that there was some kind of "special equipment" cap for '38 to '41's beside the regular cap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b6vt Posted December 24, 2008 Author Share Posted December 24, 2008 I checked with several suppliers for the thermostats and per one of the repondants to this particular inquiry, I checked with Narraganset--They had thermostats, not the original type that were intalled in the hose from each head, this type of thermostat fits in the opening to the hose attachment on the head. Of course this is not original type equipment but, if the hose after being clamped will hold the thermostat in place and the temp range is correct, will this function? Your comments please. Glenn Lorei (b6vt) PS the price was reasonable $20.00 for both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peecher Posted December 24, 2008 Share Posted December 24, 2008 Glenn, A thermostat that fits into the outlet on the cylinder head would seem pretty resirictive to me? I personally have never seen a V12 with this type? There were a few variations of design of the replacement thermostats but they all fit the inside Diameter (1-3/4")of the hose. Most have some kind of sleeve around them to orient them properly. Some have "fingers" to hold them in place and others used clamps around the outside of the hose to keep them in place and others don't relie on any clamps. I have even seen after-market units that were mounted in the middle of the hose between 2 short pieces of hose. Not quite sure what you have but I would be leary of anything that fits inside the outlet on the head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JustBill Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 I bought my 48 convertible in Sept of last year, but have not driven it much because of reliability problems. I repaired that and decided to change out all the hoses under the hood. I was looking for thermostats, saw this post and have just now ordered them. They are still $9.95ea. The fellow I ordered from was very knowledgeable on the subject, and told me these will work just fine. The old style thermostats I had were designed for running alcohol in the system, and would run hotter with regular anti-freeze. Instead of at 1/2 on the temp scale, my car was at 3/4 or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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